réflexive

Réflexive is a term used across disciplines to describe forms or relations that refer back to the subject or to a single entity. In grammar, a reflexive construction occurs when the object of a verb is the same as its subject, often marked by a reflexive pronoun. Reflexive meanings can indicate self-directed actions, experiences, or states, and they are distinguished from ordinary transitive actions by the self-reference.

In English, reflexive pronouns include myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, and themselves. Examples: “She dressed herself,” “They blamed themselves.” Reflexive forms can be used as objects or, less commonly, for emphasis (the latter called an intensive use). Some verbs require a reflexive pronoun in certain languages, even when the subject and object seem the same, while others permit plain objects.

Cross-linguistically, reflexive marking varies. French uses a reflexive pronoun with pronominal verbs in phrases like se laver (to wash oneself); Spanish uses se in a similar way (lavarse); German uses sich with third-person forms (sich waschen). In many languages, reflexive constructions are integrated into the verb morphology or rely on clitic pronouns, and they may interact with voice, aspect, or politeness systems.

Reflexive should not be confused with reciprocal constructions, which involve two or more subjects performing an action on each other (each other, one another). In logic and mathematics, a relation is reflexive if every element relates to itself: for all a, aRa.

Overall, reflexivity captures self-reference in grammar, language use, and formal systems.